Straits of Mackinac · United States · Wreck · Freshwater
Sandusky
Replica scroll figurehead below the jib-boom of an 1848 brig
Area photo: U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service - Midwest Region · Public domain
The Sandusky is a two-masted brig built in 1848 that sank in a gale in September 1856. Her hull sits intact and tipped slightly to port in 26 m (85 ft) of water five miles west of the Mackinac Bridge, with a topmast, windlass and bilge pumps still in place and a replica scroll figurehead under the jib-boom.
Where it is and how deep
45.7993° N, 84.8375° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The preserve mooring sits about 6 m (20 ft) off the port side aft, and a small line guides divers from it to the rail, so the first contact with the ship is the after port rail. The brig lies between 21 m (70 ft) and 26 m (85 ft), five miles west of the bridge, her hull intact and tipped slightly to port, with a number of artifacts on and around the wreck.
Along the deck the centerboard winch, bilge pumps and windlass all remain, and a topmast reaches from the port rail down to the bottom. At the bow a scroll figurehead sits below the intact jib-boom; it is a replica, and the original, recovered with State permission, is in the Straits Shipwreck Museum at Old Mackinac Point Light in Mackinaw City. The decks are collapsing in places and the brig shows severe wear, so the preserve asks divers not to touch or disturb any artifacts.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Sandusky
- Type
- Two-masted brig
- Built
- 1848
- Sunk
- 1856
- Cause
- Caught in the Straits by a violent gale
- Lies
- Intact, tipped slightly to port, in 26 m (85 ft)
Built in 1848 in Sandusky, Ohio, the brig Sandusky is the oldest known shipwreck in the preserve that divers visit. She was bound from Chicago to Buffalo with a load of grain in September 1856 when a violent gale sprang up on the northern end of Lake Michigan and caught her in the Straits.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Off-season | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Straits of Mackinac: Charters run from mid-May and the season is June through September, with most preserve moorings in from late May to mid-September; early dives bring spawning whitefish and perch.
Know before you go
- The decks are collapsing in places and the brig shows signs of severe wear; the preserve asks divers not to touch or disturb the artifacts.
Dive videos
Shipwreck Sandusky, May 4, 2019. Straits of Mackinac · Dusty Klifman / Blueyes Below on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Sandusky shipwreck?+
The brig lies in 21 to 26 m (70 to 85 ft) of water five miles west of the Mackinac Bridge, with her hull intact and tipped slightly to port.
Sources
- Sandusky — Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve
- Straits of Mackinac Shipwreck Preserve — Wikipedia
- Mackinac Straits 2 Tank Diving — Nautical North Family Adventures
- St. Ignace SCUBA — St. Ignace Scuba
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